The Output of Crude Oil in the First Half of This Year Reaches the Highest Level in History

(NCNA, July 9, 1977) The brilliant leader Chairman Hua's call for "Taching to reach for even higher targets and for petroleum departments to create ten more âTaching Oil Fieldsâ greatly encouraged the broad staff and workers of the national petroleum front. They deeply exposed and criticized the counterrevolutionary revisionist line of the "Gang of Four," continued to exploit the spirit of waging revolution with all-out efforts, braved high winds, snow and freezing cold, overcame all sorts of difficulties, and overfulfilled the national crude oil targets set for the first half of the year. The output of crude oil reached the highest level in history, 10.6 percent over the output of the same period last year. A record was also set in natural gas production when one and a half times the annual target was produced in half a year. The rate of well drilling increased continuously. The national monthly footage of wells drilled in May and June increased nearly 100 percent compared with that of the average month in the first quarter. More than ten records in well drilling were broken. The 7001 Well-Drilling Team in Szechuan Province drilled to a depth of 7,000 meters. It also completed exploration of the 7,000-meter deep well with Chinesemade instruments, thus setting the latest drilling and exploring record in China. In petroleum surveys, high-yield oil and gas wells were struck in new areas. Crude-oil refining and outputs of major petroleum products also exceeded the state targets set for the first half of this year.